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Tuesday, May 31, 2011

Character interview with Felicity Heaton character Lealandra

Thank you to the lovely Laurie for inviting me to come here today and chat with everyone as part of my Paranormal Pandemonium 2011 Blog Tour for my eight book releases this year.

I guess that I should probably introduce myself so you all know who I am. I’m Felicity Heaton and I have written over forty paranormal romance and science fiction romance stories. I write as Felicity Heaton for the most part, but I also write my Vampires Realm series as F E Heaton. Most of the time I’m writing paranormal romances about vampires, werewolves, shape-shifters or dark angels, but sometimes I write about witches and demons too, and that’s where my new book comes in.

Ascension is the first book in my new Shadow & Light Trilogy series. It’s a passionate and action-packed urban fantasy romance featuring a powerful kick-ass witch heroine, Lealandra, and a snarky kick-ass dark half-demon hero, Taig.

Today, I have had a chance to interview Lealandra and catch up about her life and the series.

FH: I have Lealandra here with me today to talk about her book, Ascension. Firstly, can you tell us a little about yourself?

Lealandra: Sure thing. I’m a witch, and I come from a long line of witches. My family is old enough that we attract strong magic, the sort that has needs and desires. As long as we fulfil the needs of the magic that we host in our bodies, all is good. Since my magic found me, I’ve studied with it, learning to control it and to use the power it grants me. I’ve been with two covens in my time, one in the New York State countryside and one in New York City. They were both very different places and, looking back, I’m not sure that I made the right decision in moving to the city coven. Some people might think it’s crazy that I’m saying that I’m a witch, but it’s true. We keep out of the limelight as much as possible so normal people don’t find out about us, but sometimes it’s difficult, especially because of the war between demons and witches. We’re fighting over territory and I don’t think anyone knows why anymore. It’s a hatred that’s bred into us from generations past, and I’m a firm believer that it’s something that we now need to overcome so we don’t drag humans into our conflict.

FH: Can you tell us about what happened in your story?

Lealandra: I don’t like to think too much about it because it was a hard time for me. It was frightening enough discovering that I had started the ascension, let alone coming under attack from someone who wanted to kill me. The ascension is a time when the magic inside a witch grows to reach the pinnacle of the power it can achieve with a mortal body as its host. Most witches don’t go through the ascension. They’re rare, and it’s even rarer to survive one. My mother went through one and she almost killed me and my father when the final stage happened. My father was very brave and managed to save her. She hasn’t been the same since though. I was always afraid that I was going to end up the same way if I went through the ascension and survived. When someone killed Charlie, I didn’t know what to do. Charlie was my counter-balance. That’s a fancy term for someone who can take a little of my power, like siphoning it off, so it doesn’t get beyond my control. When he was shot, I thought it was over, I wasn’t going to survive. I had needed him to take part of my power during the final stage of the ascension or it would kill me. Then other things happened, and I fled my coven, and eventually I found the courage to seek help. It’s not easy walking back into the life of someone whose heart you broke, especially when that man is also an incredibly powerful half-demon and hunter with a bit of a temper. I was lucky that Taig was in a good mood night that and that he agreed to help me, even if his price was rather high.

FH: In Ascension, you meet Taig again after a period of six years apart. How was it seeing him again after all that time and was it frightening to walk back into his life after you had been the one to leave him?

Lealandra: I couldn’t breathe at first. Walking into that grim smoky bar and seeing him sitting there, nursing a drink, looking just as I remembered him in my dreams and in my heart, it was the hardest thing I’ve ever had to do. I can be stubborn as hell on a good day, and I’m not one to admit defeat, but I knew what needed to be done if I was going to survive my ascension and the madman who was after me. I needed someone who could not only find and defeat the person after me, but who could help me through my ascension and help me control my power. Taig could do that for me. When he noticed me, I almost bolted, but my feet wouldn’t move. I loved him so much all those years ago, and I still loved him. He’s the only man I’ve ever truly loved, even if he wanted to deny that feeling existed in me. I deserved his anger in payment for the pain I caused him. I walked in there knowing that, but I hadn’t expected him to kiss me back when those demons walked in and I panicked and kissed him to hide myself. When he kissed me, it was game over. I needed him all over again.

FH: Your relationship with Taig is complicated and forbidden to say the very least. Was it difficult at first when you started working together again? Taig can be quite stubborn and troublesome, so was it hard to crack his tough exterior and piece his heart back together?

Lealandra: Taig is impossible. One moment he’s the nicest guy in the world, open and loving, passionate and protective, and the next he’s hell-bent on making me pay for the hurt I caused him by leaving him to be with my counter-balance and the coven. Witches and demons don’t mix. Most people see a relationship between the two species as sacrilegious and disgusting, something worthy of punishment. When I fell for Taig, I wasn’t really thinking about what people say we should feel for each other because of what we are. I fell for a crazy, stubborn, gorgeous guy. I never realised just how much I missed him, and how much I hurt him, until we met again. Or how much he missed me. It was hard to move past what had happened between us, and even harder to make him believe in my feelings for him, but I’m not one to back down from a fight.

FH: How has life been since the events that happened and brought you together?

Lealandra: It’s been so peaceful. Taig took me to England and his family home, and I’ve learned so much about my magic. I’m growing more in touch with it and I’m learning a lot from some ancient witches that Taig knows. As for our relationship, we still have our ups and downs. Nothing is ever smooth sailing between us. We’re both so stubborn that we’ll fight tooth and nail to get our own way about some things, like hunting marks and the coven. Taig is dead set on me keeping away from covens from now on. He thinks I can learn all I need from the local witches, and in a way he’s right, but witches have a tendency to flock together. We have visitors quite often from my old covens and that gives me some company, and it’s enough for now. Taig is going through a lot at the moment and really needs me with him, and I don’t intend to leave him again. Not now, and not ever.

FH: Your story, Ascension, is a book in a series. In my interview with Taig, he mentioned that you’re the stars of the series and there there’ll be three books about you. What can you tell us about those books?

Lealandra: Well, I’m not sure how much I should say. Did he mention that they were going to be as action-packed as the first novel? *FH nods* Hmm, I guess I could say that I’m going to get my wish and we’re going to end up finding out what happened to Taig’s parents, and that it isn’t going to be an easy journey. The next story is as fraught with danger as the first, if not more so. It’s certainly going to be one hell of a read. Taig has only just started to understand the barest threads of his power, and I’m delving deeper into mine. There’s no telling where this is going to lead us.

FH: Describe yourself in one word?

Lealandra: Determined.

FH: That certainly suits you. Thank you for meeting with me today and chatting. Is there anything else that you’d like to add?

Lealandra: Only a brief thank you to you for interviewing me, and a tip-off to the readers that they really should check out my story, if only so they can fall in love with Taig just as I did.

If anyone has any questions they want to pose to Lealandra, or to myself as the author, I’d be happy to answer them if you leave a comment on this blog post.

If you’re a reader looking for an action-packed, magical and passionate urban fantasy romance with a difference, then head on over to my website and check out the excerpt of Ascension: http://www.felicityheaton.co.uk

Ascension is available now in e-book format direct from my site, on Amazon Kindle, Barnes and Noble Nook, Apple iBookstore and other retailers, and is also available in paperback from Amazon.

Ascension

Felicity Heaton

A witch on the verge of achieving phenomenal power, Lealandra must turn to her half-breed demon ex-lover Taig for protection from the dark force that is after her and also from her own magic.

With her Counter-Balance dead and her coven against her, Taig’s blood and power is the only thing that can help her control her magic and survive the ascension and gain the strength to defeat her enemy.

Old feelings come flooding back as Taig allows her into his world and Lealandra finds herself fighting not only for survival but to win his broken heart again and heal the pain in their past. Can he forgive her for walking out on him all those years ago and will he ever believe her when she tells him that he’s not a monster but the man that she loves?

Felicity Heaton is a romance author writing as both Felicity Heaton and F E Heaton. She is passionate about penning paranormal tales full of vampires, witches, werewolves, angels and shape-shifters, and has been interested in all things preternatural and fantastical since she was just a child. Her other passion is science-fiction and she likes nothing more than to immerse herself in a whole new universe and the amazing species therein. She used to while away days at school and college dreaming of vampires, werewolves and witches, or being lost in space, and used to while away evenings watching movies about them or reading gothic horror stories, science-fiction and romances.

Having tried her hand at various romance genres, it was only natural for her to turn her focus back to the paranormal, fantasy and science-fiction worlds she enjoys so much. She loves to write seductive, sexy and strong vampires, werewolves, witches, angels and alien species. The worlds she often dreams up for them are vicious, dark and dangerous, reflecting aspects of the heroines and heroes, but her characters also love deeply, laugh, cry and feel every emotion as keenly as anyone does. She makes no excuses for the darkness surrounding them, especially the paranormal creatures, and says that this is their world. She’s just honoured to write down their adventures.

If you want to know more about me, or want to get in touch, you can find me at the following places:

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